Stamford, CT - INTEMPO Organization Inc. has announced Lou Chen as the new Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Stamford, CT-based nonprofit, which empowers young people through culturally responsive music education. He will be INTEMPO’s second CEO, following the departure of its founder, Angelica Durrell, who left the organization in May 2024 for a position at Harvard University. As CEO, Chen will be responsible for creating and sustaining partnerships and relationships with stakeholders, managing staff and operations, strategic planning, and development. He officially begins his new position on November 18, 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lou Chen as INTEMPO's CEO," says Ellen Isidro, INTEMPO Board Co-Chair. "Lou has the experience, energy, vision, and commitment to build on INTEMPO’s successes. We are confident that he will lead the organization to an exciting future, bringing his passion for music and music education into every aspect of his work."
Chen is the winner of the 2023 Tiger Entrepreneur Award, and has a track record of working with local communities to launch arts outreach initiatives. He comes to INTEMPO from Princeton University, where he founded Trenton Arts at Princeton, an initiative that connects the Trenton and Princeton artistic communities through student leadership and volunteer opportunities, youth programming, and community performances. He has been an invited speaker and panelist alongside thought leaders such as conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp. Chen serves on the Princeton University Concerts Committee and the Board of Trustees for Young Audiences NJ & Eastern PA. He received his bachelor’s degree in music from Princeton University, where he was the recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts and the A. James Fisher, Jr. Memorial Award, among other distinctions.
“Music education gives children confidence, community, and purpose. It certainly did for me,” Chen says. “Every child deserves to discover the musician within themselves. Under the visionary leadership of INTEMPO’s founder, Angelica Durrell, INTEMPO has become a thriving embodiment of that philosophy. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue her vital work.”
About INTEMPO
Founded in 2011, INTEMPO provides high-quality music education to children predominantly from immigrant backgrounds and from communities underrepresented in the arts. Its mission is to engage, educate, and enrich the lives of children by making classical and intercultural music relevant, accessible, and inclusive, and to help close the achievement gap by developing their musical, social-emotional, and interpersonal skills. For more information, visit intempo.org.